Sydney, Australia

A new city. Some great company. And one beautiful weekend.

A couple of weekends ago, my mum and dad came to visit me and the boyf in Sydney and we had the best weekend together. From king sized beds and spectacular views to ferry rides to the North Shore, it was one of the nicest weekends I’ve had in a long time. Living so far away from home, in London, I really missed my family and living so close to them was something that I used to take for granted. Skype's great, but it ain't got nothing on the real thing! 

Here are a few pictures I took on the Ferry ride to Manly, which is definitely the best way to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Strawberry Fields Forever

When I was back in Brisbane, about a month ago (sorry, I’m backtracking here – but better late then never) I spent a lovely morning with the mum and boyf at Rolin Strawberry Farm just north of Brisbane. Here we met Farmer Bruce who educated us about the perfect way to pick a strawberry, dribbled over the fresh, farm-made strawberry ice-cream and chocolate dipped strawberries and of course picked up punnets and punnets of fresh strawberries which we pretty much got stuck into in the car on the way home. It was such a lovely outing for which you don’t have to dedicate all day to and is a great, quirky idea for anyone looking for “something different” to do. 

MOVE. EAT. LEARN

Now, I haven’t done many travel posts in a while but I came across the new STA travel TV advert and I am so inspired by it. I love that the MOVE and EAT videos have an underlying linear concept that truly is beautiful and I get a little jealous of the LEARN video as it just re-ignites the travel fire that lies deep within my belly. 

The one thing that I love most about travelling is getting the opportunity to experience things that you wouldn’t usually experience in your everyday life from the people you meet to the food you taste, it is an unbelievable feeling.  

Bye Bye Brisbane

For those that follow me on Twitter (@jrabbitscloset) you already know that my time at home in Brisbane has come to an end and I'm off to start another adventure in Sydney! I've had the best month in Brisbane, catching up with friends and family and just generally re-acquainting myself with the city. I know that I'll definitely miss it and all of its familiarity but as it goes in life, you must keep moving forward. 

Brisbane, Australia

I’d like to introduce you to Brisbane, Australia, also know as “my hood”. In my family, we try to get together for a Sunday lunch every now and again and this time we went to Kingsleys Steak and Crabhouse, located on the waterfront of the Brisbane River. The view of the Storey bridge is just lovely and the food is a-to-the-mazing. The coconut prawns are a must-have and you definitely cannot go past the sticky toffee pudding. Gosh, it’s nice to be home.  

Jackson Hole, WY

OMGosh, take me here. Now.

Sourced : Honestly…WTF

Byron Bay, Australia

Byron Bay is one of my favourite places in Australia. It has incredible beaches, fresh food markets, a relaxed and easygoing atmosphere and I must say that the drive down from Brisbane is just inspiring – from the lush, green rolling hills to the beautiful sun-kissed fields. I’ve been dreaming about the day that I’d get to go back for over two years now and it was honestly worth the wait! If you're in Australia, you must go there and just like me, I assure you that you’ll never want to leave.  

PS If you are driving down from Brisbane, do yourself a favour and drop into Yatala Pie Shop, you won’t regret it. 

Fremantle, Australia

Hvar, Croatia

It’s been over a week since my last blog post and a lot has changed. The biggest change being that I am now, no longer living in London (cue post-breakup emotions). I’m back on home soil in Australia and to be honest, it feels, well, different but in the same breath, it feels all so familiar that I’m quite “ok” with being back (for now!). I definitely feel as though my travel bug hasn’t subsided, more that due to my massive jetlag that comes with a 20 hour flight, I’m happy to be back on the ground.

The question that I’ve been asked the most since I’ve been back is “what has been your most favourite holiday destination in the past 10 weeks?” and at the very top of that list is Croatia. My last post was all about Dubrovnik but we also ventured to one of the many islands of Croatia, Hvar, which is most popularly known as one of “the party islands.” The other party island, to my knowledge is Pag. Hvar is about 9 hours on the ferry from Dubrovnik and about 2 hours from Split and is just incredible. In my opinion, Hvar is the new Ibiza; great nightlife, perfect weather and I thought that the water in Dubrovnik was clear but in Hvar it is even more pristine. Hvar is honestly such a great escape, even if you like the party or not, it has something for everyone.