These mountains 'blue' me away...

So the Blue mountains were definitely worth exploring! We took a break from the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a day, and got a 2 hour train from 'central station' to 'Katoomba'. The journey was smooth and easy, and we didn't get lost like everyone thought we would. The mountains stretched further than the eye could see, and had a slight blue tinge to them, I guess because of the reflection of the sky. We walked along to 'Echo point' and down the VERY steep stairs to the 'three sisters' (three peaks in the picture). We saw some beautiful parrots and peacock-like birds too, but thankfully no creepy crawlers or snakes!

Get merry on the ferry!

One way to see all the best views of Sydney is to hop on the short ferry ride to MANLY beach! You sail past the Opera house, swing by the harbour bridge and then cruise off into the distance with a view of the city skyline. We went to Manly on the weekend, so it was quite busy with surfers, volley-ballers and sunbathers, but the atmosphere was great. Because it was Sunday, we only paid about $2.50 for our whole days travel! The actually beach itself is long and luscious. There's some nice restaurants to treat yourself to dinner, but also lots of bottle shops and ice cream parlours to make your beach days even more enjoyable!

BONDAI BEACH BLISS

Bondai beach really is a cool little hub with so many surfers, beach babes, rooftop cafes and beachside restaurants. I was told by a few people that I'd be underwhelmed, but I actually really liked it! The beach itself isn't too big, and you can take a coastal walk around to Gordon's bay if you want a quieter  spot. It's $6.50 to use the ocean pools as well if you fancy, which looked pretty fun... but I just stuck to eating and drinking on the beach of course ;) it's super easy to get out to the beach from central Sydney, as it's just a short bus ride away. Check it out!

                Down the rabbit hole I go... 

If you're looking for a swanky little bar that has atmosphere, good food, happy hour and plays throwbacks...then say no more! I'd definitely head to the Rabbit hole again, around 6pm on any night of the week. There's daily deals on food and $5 drinks. I had the smoked salmon rocket salad with feta, tomato, red onion and peppers. The cracked black pepper on top topped it off and I wasn't left feeling bloated (which meant more room for alcohol). This place keep getting busier and busier throughout the night and tables were reserved from very early on. It's surely a bar to visit in Sydney if you want something with style!

                     Coffee rivalry...

So apparently Melbourne and Sydney are constantly at battle with each other over who has the best coffee, art, entertainment, food, etc. Which is why Canberra got the the capital city status in the end, as it's smack bang in he middle of both! This cappuccino in Melbourne was pretty damn good! It wasn't even the slightest bit bitter, was smooth and had a rich, hit creamy after taste. I didn't have a bad coffee in Melbourne at all... so am looking forward to trying what sydney had to offer, to compare.

            Magic Mondays in Melbourne

So we arrived to Melbourne on Sunday night and stayed enjoyed the range of bars in the Fitzroy area that evening. The next few days were spent day exploring the lovely St. Kilda beach, federation square, ACMI centre (Aussie centre for the moving image), southbanks coffees and wines, a rooftop cinema and came across a hidden bar called 'Boston sub' on chapel street. GO AND FIND IT! Overall, Melbourne had a real sparkle to it. I found it similar to London, but with slightly less people, and ones that are friendlier on public transport.

                         Truffle up!

So we stayed in the funky St. Kilda for our first night in Melbourne. 2 minutes walk from our place was a busy cafe called the Galleon, with a long line outside. I immediately know it was a place to have brunch! I tried the tuffled eggs with wilted spinach and crispy mushrooms on pied bread, which was a real tongue tingler! I've never had truffled eggs, but I will definitely have them again. The rest of the menu included big meaty breakfasts, but also vegan and gluten free options to keep everyone happy. 

Where: St. Kilda Galleon cafe, Melbourne 

Price: ££

Rating: 8/10

             White sandy beach!

So white sandy beach was part of the Naviti islands around Fiji. This particular island had very high and very low tides throughout the day, which really changed the look of the beach. The family atmosphere here was thriving. You could tell that he workers really loved and cared about each other, but also you as a guest. They all remembered my name and gave me a big hug when I left, which was a nice little touch. Some of the activities included a crab race, Papaya cracking games, coconut cracking, Fijian language lesson and a cosy campfire sing-a-long at night. Assa was known as the 'Human Geko' because he could climb up and down the tree (face first) like a Geko! It was amazing! I told the family that I would tell my friends about White Sandy Beach... so I guess I should keep my word and tell all :)

                Wayalailai is the way-way! 

 

Wayalailai has some stunning beaches! It was a much bigger island than our previous, and also went up much higher. We did a hike up to the summit of the rock to watch the sunset, which was beautifulZ however coming down was a real struggle in the dark!!! We also got to snorkel with white tip reef sharks! They were about a metre long and were actually pretty friendly. Our other activity was visiting the village people in their children at their boarding school. The children had a Rota, which meant that they had to clean up and tidy away after themselves constantly... something that should be introduced to our schools in England! The people here just seem to happy and content with life, it was so refreshing and made me realise that life can be simple... we just decide to make it manic?!

             Beachcomber!

This mini paradise island showed us a great time. It's know for its party time, where 'DJ Mamma' plays music all night long until the last person leaves the bar. The entertainment included amazing fire dancers, learning the classic Bula dance and a very English quiz! We were also taught how to basket weave from coconut leaves and had the privilege of about 6 different holy hours during the day/night. Pretty lethal when you have the Sangria!!!

                        Bula!

So Bula is the word to learn when you visit Fiji for sure! You can use it to reply to most things if you like, but it's usually used as Hello or welcome.

The Fijians are the most friendly, happy and smiley people you'll meet. The men won't let you carry your luggage, and you always get a catchy welcome song when reach each new destination. They are very serious about volleyball... and are pretty damn good at it too! 

The Fijians are very family orientated and seem to dedicate their time to making sure you have the best holiday stay with them. This, along with the stunning scenery, distinctive music and cloudless-skies, makes a winning holiday destination for me.

                                  The city of unforgotten earthquakes

Christchurch or CHCH for short, seems more like a town than a city. It has a few cool bars and restaurants, but they seem to be quite far apart form each other. It also has quite an industrial look to it, but still has some character despite this. It just passed the anniversary of the biggest earthquake when we arrived, where 185 people died on 22.02.11. 

There was quite an eerie feel in town, but it was nice to pay our respects at the memorial by the river. Many buildings are still under construction, even though it is 6 years on from the earthquakes. They are still debating whether to reconstruct the cathedral in the middle of town, which at the moment is in ruins! 

As the shopping centre was demolished by the quake, the city decided to create a really funky shopping mall made from super safe and durable shipping containers, and called it the 'Re:Start mall'. It's really colourful and has lots of food/drinks stalls. The picture above is the memorial bridge which commemorates those who fought in the war with Britain during WW1.

                                Buenos dias breakfast fajitas

Black betties was definitely the spot for brunch in Christchurch! I opted for a Mexican breakfast this time just to branch out, and was not disappointed. The black beans were blended with Mexican spices, topped with a runny poached egg. Then you had 3 tortillas to play with, where you could add mushrooms, chipotle aioli, fresh veggies and smashed avocado. I of course had a latte on the side!                              
                                                   Where: Black Betties, Christchurch
                                                                           Price: ££
                                                                        Rating: 7/10

                        Wine not?! 

We called in to Waimea winery just outside of Nelson, which had a real rustic, authentic feel to it. Caitlin was our sommelier, who explained the flavours of our wines in detail, the region of the grapes and what dishes to match them with. We tried the Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Sauvignon Gris, Gruner, Rose, Pinot noir and Trevs Red - a speciality blend of various grapes from the region. 

The cheeseboard was a MUST. It came with sheep's cheese Brie, feta and New Zealand's equivalent to Montego, with candied walnuts, chopped beetroot, sliced apple and water melon on the side. It was accompanied by buttery crackers and soft bread which were well and truly cleared from the board. I enjoyed the whole experience and would recommend giving this vineyard a visit. 

Where: The cellar door, Waimea estates, Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand. 

Price:  Tasting was $5 for 3 wines. However we bought a bottle of red, so tasting was knocked off the price! 

Rating: 9/10

       A little change from eggs for breakfast! 

This fancy little cafe by day, restaurant by night was a hit in my books. I had the 'AOK' which was sliced avocado, on brown seeded bread with an avocado mousse topper and a bean sprout salad. I also added pork and fennel sausages for a little extra to get my meat fix. The bread was nice a quick, and the mousse was creamy. Anymore fennel in the sausages though would have been too much, as I'm not a huge fan of aniseed flavour! I liked the chilled atmosphere and smart decor inside, so it was a nice place to relax if you're in no rush. I'd definitely go back for brunch again one day.

Where: Egmont street eatery, wellington

Price: ££

Rating: 8/10

 

                                               What a load of waffle!

So I could only fit in half of one of these bad boys after my huge dinner at crab shack in Wellington today, but half was plenty! (Above) Some of the waffle holes were filled with soft meringue - crisped off with a blow torch, and the others filled with lemon curd. 

The waffle itself was soft and buttery and cooked in about 60 seconds! I certainly got a sugar high after this one, followed by crashing out on my bed! Regardless of this... don't ever miss out having this cheap little dessert if you're ever in Wellington. It's only a small little window below the Library bar, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Where: The little waffle shop, Courtenay Place, Wellington 

Price: £ (low)

Rating: 9/10

  I saw a Kiwi! (Bird, not the fruit)

So I finally got to see New Zealand's national bird in a sanctuary solely dedicated to conserving this cute little bird, to stop it becoming extinct. It has many predators and is a poor fighter, so it's population is decreasing rapidly. The Kiwi is a mammal-like bird which develops in its mother's womb in just 10-30 days. The egg is then laid and kept warm by its father for up to 80 days before it hatches. The 'kiwi encounter' foundation in Rotorua provides a safe environment for the eggs and chicks, keeps them well and feeds them until they are a big enough weight to survive independently. Then they are released back in to the wild, straight back where they were found. They are cute little beings that can't actually fly... so they will stay native to New Zealand for sure!

        Candles and Cocktails

Ponsonby 

The longroom - swarve decor, great atmosphere and affordable cocktail list 

Lime and passion fruit Caprioska 

Where: The longroom, Ponsonby, Auckland 

Price: ££

Rating: 9/10