Just Like Martha

Weekend Escape - Hyams Beach

Another weekend escape this time to the stunning HYAMS BEACH close to Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales...famous for stretches of white sandy beaches that are perfect for a mid winter escape with good friends.

We packed the car and headed down after work one Thursday, grabbing dinner on the way, before we knew it we were sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine. An early night followed by a pre-breakky walk along with beach, coffee in hand was the perfect start to a few days of R&R and catching up with good buddies.

Shhhhh don't tell anyone but it really is the perfect winter escape...everyone flocks down here (including the tourist buses) in summer but the truth is Hyams Beach is only a few streets and it can get overcrowded in summer but in winter for some reason everyone forgets about it...lucky for us!!!!

A lazy day of lounging, walking, eating, lounging, more eating followed by a few wines, more eating and some card games, meant for another early night so we could get up early and venture off on a long walk..more than 20 kms in total.

So many opportunities to snap the camera along the way, this really is a magical coastline.

We did treat ourselves when we arrived in Huskisson with some morsels to keep us going for the long walk home.....and they were delicious!

Ahhh YES just what we needed, a winter weekend escape in a magical part of the world.

Thanks for stopping by x

 

Weekend Escape - Canberra

I LOVE a weekend escape and even better if it involves a road trip, a wonderful hotel, good food and drink and some activities thrown in for good measure!

Friday morning we hit the road, the landscape notably drier and 'browner' than last time we travelled to Canberra. We stopped on the way in Bowral to catch up with friends for a leisurely lunch so didn't arrive at our destination until late afternoon. The Hyatt Hotel - Canberra never disappoints such a wonderful hotel. We checked in, went for a walk then decided a glass of wine, cheese platter and luxury bath robes whilst we watched a movie was in order - the perfect night in!

The next morning we were up early to enjoy the hotels buffet breakfast (yum - it never disappoints) then it was time to explore. On todays agenda was the National Arboretum, featuring 94 forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from around Australia and the world. Many of the trees are still young but two of the forests are over 100 hundred years old. There was a wonderful bonsai exhibition to see along with the featured 'knitted' tree exhibition.

Not only trees on display but a few very funky sculptures as well....

Time to head back to the hotel for a swim, spa and sauna before getting dressed for dinner. First stop a glass of wine near the roaring fire in the Library Bar at the Hyatt...second stop our favourite restaurant in Canberra Otis Dining Hall for an amazing meal. John ordered the 4 course truffle menu and was VERY happy.

Thank you Canberra for another wonderful weekend...hope to see you again next yer for another weekend escape!

Vietnam & Nha Trang (part two)

Whoaaa don't faint I'm back already with part two!

After our wonderful few days in Ho Chi MinhCity it was time to board our flight to Nha Trang to enjoy the relaxing part of our holiday. We left behind the hustle and bustle of the city and headed north - east to a fairly new resort area of Vietnam. Popular with Russians this area has begun to boom! On the drive from the airport to our resort we witnessed hotel after hotel being built, it will be different for sure once its all complete. The area we were staying was on the other side of the city on a more remote beach area.

Welcome to Amiana Resort, a five star oasis nestled on a natural lagoon and featuring a few swimming pools and beaches to choose from, breakfast daily, nightly cocktails, dinners as well as massages, mud baths...need I go on!!!

After all that pampering we needed a break lol, so it was off to the 'big smoke' for a few hours...we caught the hotel shuttle to downtown Nha Trang and discovered the wonderful local markets and a pretty cool Buddha! It was pretty hot and sticky walking around so of course we rewarded ourselves at the end with a ice cold beer, local of course!

Such a wonderful holiday, lots of eating, cocktails, reading, sleeping, relaxing and pampering as well as exploring. I am getting "holiday remorse" as I type...better finish off with a few sunset shots and call it a day...

Until next time...thanks for stopping by xox

 

Travels to Vietnam & Nha Trang (part one)

A little while ago(who am I kidding it was back in March) John and I travelled to Vietnam on a holiday. In the spirit of keeping this 'little blog of mine' as a memory keeper I thought it was about time I blogged about it.

We purchased some cheap airline tickets and as the saying goes "you get what you pay for" we found ourselves travelling Sydney to Melbourne to Singapore to Ho Chi Minh....exhausting yes but when we hopped in that fancy black limo at Ho Chi Minh airport bound for the Sofitel Hotel it was all worth it.

The Sofitel Saigon Plaza is a lovely hotel in a great location, we have travelled to ho Chi Minh before so we were keen to go for a wander and see how much it had evolved in the last ten years. Such a cool city with an eclectic mix of old and new, lots of amazing coffee shops had popped up along with trendy bars, breweries and restaurants, so much on offer it was going to be a busy few days......

So much pleasure just wandering the streets, but of course with all our new discoveries also came our favourite haunts....top of the Rex Hotel for a G&T, Notre Dame Cathedral, the original Post Office, Ben Thanh Markets, Reunification Palace and of course the must do (often) Highlands Coffee stop!

We celebrate our last evening in this wonderful city with sunset drinks on top of a tall building - The GLOW BAR - Saigon, couldn't believe we were the only guests for happy hour???

Following our very glamorous sunset drinks we caught a taxi to a fabulous restaurant that had been recommended by friends...The Chopsticks Saigon  once the home of Mr Tran Van Huong, the Vice President of the Southern Vietnamese Government before 1975....a pretty setting and amazing food a definite MUST VISIT in this fabulous city.

The next morning (after another delicious buffet break at the Sofitel) we were off back to the airport for our domestic flight to the coastal city of Nha Trang.

Stay tuned, promise to try and come back tomorrow to 'reveal' Pat Two...xox

2018 - welcome

Welcome to 2018 - HAPPY NEW YEAR !

Wishing you all a year full of wonder, health and happiness, love and laughter and a few surprises thrown in to keep you on your toes xox

Source: Pinterest

Finale....December Daily

So happy that I managed to take a photo EVERY day in December, it really was a great way to document such a special time of year.

Day Twenty-Six

Mills Family Christmas follows a format...Christmas Eve party in the double garage at Mum and Dads, Christmas Day on the Jetty Foreshores then back to Mum and Dads for presents and an array of delicious desserts...Boxing Day is out at "the farm" (my sister and brother in law live on a farm in Crossmaglen - so pretty).

I love this photo of the 'baby' of the family (youngest great grandchild) telling the 'baby' of the family (youngest grandchild) a secret...too cute!

Day Twenty-Seven

Today was a big one....my father -in-law...John, aka Jack, Dad. Poppy turned the big 90 and of course another celebration was planned...a few extra friends and family members thrown in for good measure and another picnic this time at the site of the house where dad grew up...wouldn't be a celebration without a special cake, this one was a beauty!

Day Twenty-Eight

Time to pack up and head on home....road trip in reverse lol. A few days of rain had already worked its magic and the scenery was green and picturesque all the way home.

Day Twenty-Nine

Back to reality, loads of washing, unpacking and sadly almost time to pack up the Christmas decorations for another year...maybe we can stretch it to new years day - its so pretty after all!

Day Thirty

Family night at the movies, ever since its release we have been 'busting' to see that latest Hugh Jackman movie "The Greatest Showman"...amazing - we LOVED it...ha whats not to love a great cast, great songs, great story, Hugh Jackman AND Zac Efron and another talented Aussie Michelle Williams..

Day Thirty-One

New Years Eve 2017, after a relaxing day at home we headed out to a party in Manly, good friends who live in an apartment with amazing views of Manly and beyond. The 9pm Manly Fireworks did not disappoint..we could also see the city fireworks and further up the beaches...amazing!

Hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into the month that was DECEMBER DAILY....and welcome to 2018!

Thanks for stopping by xox

The next instalment.....December Daily....

Continuing on my quest for a Photo every day in December,,,,here goes...

Day Thirteen

Our decorations always make me smile, some old, some new...last year Taylor made this HUGE wreath which adorns our entrance way and lights up with fairy lights at night..its quickly becoming a favourite..

Day Fourteen

A quick catch up with friends for a bite to eat one night in the city...a new restaurant One Bent Street of "Kitchen by Mike" fame, delicious 'sustainable', 'whole-foods'...we feasted on lots of amazing tasting plates, my favourite: Hand pressed tofu, cucumber, crispy chicken skin, chilli sauce...YUM

Day Fifteen

Christmas is about traditions and every year I catch up with a group of "mums" for our "Annual Chrissy Breakfast" we swap a "Secret Santa", drinks lots of coffees and 'compare notes'...this year we headed down to Manly to sample breakfast (can definitely recommend the "Holy Avo") at the newly opened Girdlers.

Day Sixteen

This year we were heading north for a MILLS family Christmas so we celebrated with the BARSON clan the week before....table set and ready to go...

Day Seventeen

Some 'props' helped make photos easy and set the mood...

Day Eighteen

The last of the Chocolate Orders were boxed up and left the house...

Day Nineteen

Even 'Buddha" got into the festive spirit...

Day Twenty

"Sisters" ...enough said...

Day Twenty-one

Work has officially finished for 2017....yay...time to ENJOY!

Day Twenty-Two

Road Trip....the car is packed...and we are off!

Day Twenty-Three

Arrived safe and sound in Coffs Harbour, after a big sleep, Lilly and I were keen to go for a long walk and check out the beach....our usually favourite walk up over the headland along the beach and home...(forgot how hot and humid it gets in Coffs at Christmas time...we were wet by theme we got back for breakfast lol)

Day Twenty-Four

"Twas the day before Christmas"...a few last minute preparations and then let the celebrations begin....

Day Twenty-Five - Christmas Day

Wishing our family and fiends near and far A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS xxx

Back soon with the 'last instalment' of my December Daily....

Bali...part two

The second part of our holiday was Bingin Beach, an area well known to surfers for its great surfing and relaxed lifestyle...

We spent the morning with our friend Made who collected us from Jimbaran and drove us to our next villa stopping enroute to explore the Uluwatu Temple....

We settled into our new 'home' and headed out to enjoy the first of many sunsets the beach...and a delicious dinner...Bingin Beach is located on the "bukit" which means hill in Indonesian and is its main attraction...hilltop resorts with stunning views against the dramatic water of the Indian Ocean...

Acacia Bungalows was our home for the next week and it was "perfect"...

(the following two photos are from Acacia Bungalows website)

We pent our days at the villa relaxing, reading, napping and enjoying the pool....there was also plenty of eating and happy hour started a little earlier every day lol...

Did I mention the food......it was a vegetarian paradise for us, so much choice, hard to go past the menu at our 'local' The Cashew Tree but we did enjoy a few meals along the beachfront and our villa staff made a mean Indonesian Gado Gado and Mie Goreng.

Sadly our holiday came to an end and it was back to reality...work and home beckoned...time to go home...

Bali...time to relax

For those that follow me on Instagram you will have been inundated with our "happy place" photos recently as we headed to Bali for a quick holiday. John's shoulder replacement surgery was over 14 weeks ago now so we were feeling much more comfortable about heading overseas and it was perfect timing for a getaway to relax and recuperate!

Bali is definitely our "go to", our "happy place", I am almost too embarrassed to admit how many times we have visited this beautiful island but lets just say its more than 20 and less than 40! This time we stayed away form our usual beloved Ubud and headed instead to Jimbaran Bay. Our villa, The Leaf was everything it had promised to be, the perfect spot to relax and unwind..

A fabulous roof top bar where we may or may not have unwinded on more than one occasion for happy hour.

We took use of the complimentary shuttle down to the beach one day to soak up the sun and dip our toes in the ocean...Jimbaran Bay is famous for its fishing and the boats were all along the shoreline.

Apart from that are time at Jimbaran was all about relaxing, reading, eating and ahem maybe drinking...oh I dd manage a few yoga sessions so my exercise regime was not all lost. We learnt how to make a local "tonic" called JAMU, definitely going to make this at home, not only was it delicious but so good for your tummy...

 

The gardens around the villa were filled with vibrant colours and glorious tropical plants ...

We did venture out of the villa one day to gather supplies (happy hour was an important ritual), a quick trip to Kuta, a spot of shopping and lunch at an old favourite...

So now its farewell from Jimbaran Bay...next stop the glorious Bingin Beach...stay tuned for a photo overload!

Weekend Away - Canberra

Another weekend away...this time a sneaky visit to our nations capital - Canberra. I say it was sneaky as we have dear friends living in Canberra but this weekend was about just John and I as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. The Hyatt Hotel was our choice for a weekend of luxury, we were spoilt with a wonderful room, amazing buffet breakfast every day, drinks in front of the fire in the evening and visits to the clubhouse for a swim and spa - total indulgance.

 

We did venture out of the hotel for some sightseeing, first stop (as it was such a stunning day) was Black Mountain Tower with its sweeping views of Canberra.

Next it was the Australian War Memorial. Sadly it has been a long time since I visited this amazing museum. Do yourself a favour and if you find yourself in Canberra put it on the top of the list - it truly is a remarkable exhibition and well worth a few hours!

It was truffle season and we were lucky enough to enjoy a degustation meal at one of our favourite restaurants - The OTIS Dining Hall - OMG delicious!!!!

There are some amazing vineyards close to Canberra so we may or may not have stopped in to sample a few wines....and a few made it into the back of our car...oops!

Ahhh I love a good weekend away, recharge the batteries, fresh air, good company, great food and wine - whats not to love...right!???

Photo credits: Hyatt Hotel Canberra - Hyatt Hotels